Workout buddies
by wonderbugs
Summary: When Adrien saw Marinette in the gym, he couldn't help it. He just HAD to join in.
1. Adrien and Marinette

Adrien slung his bag over his shoulder and shut his locker, ready to head home. School had just ended an hour ago, but Adrien had lingered around with Nino.

The boys had been trying to wrap the gift that Nino had bought for Alya. It was a tiny but thoughtful gift: a red journal with black polka dots, like a ladybug. Nino saw it while shopping and thought it would be a wonderful place for Alya to document her findings about Ladybug before collating them and posting them on her blog.

It took them half an hour to figure out how to wrap the gift. And once they did, Nino thought it didn't look perfect enough, so they unwrapped it and tried again for another half hour.

Adrien left his friend after Nino had shyly handed Alya her gift, earning him a sweet hug. Adrien also wondered why Alya was still in school even though classes had ended long ago. His mind began drifting to Marinette. If Alya was still in school, what about Marinette?

He thought about her as he walked along the corridor. He realised that he had been thinking a lot about Marinette ever since he got to know her better. She was the kindest person he had ever met, besides Ladybug, and he just couldn't stop thinking about his blue-eyed friend.

It was then as though thinking of her summoned her presence. He was walking by the gym and was absently looking in through the windows when he saw her. There she was at the other end of the gym, by the treadmill, with her back to the windows and corridor. Her pigtails were bouncing up and down as she ran.

Adrien stopped in his tracks, transfixed. He didn't know why, but suddenly he felt himself moving hurriedly back to his locker to change into his PE clothes. He was suddenly glad he always kept an extra set in his locker.

Plagg floated out of his bag to stare at his human, who was struggling to put his shirt on. "I thought we were heading home?"

"Change of plans. I'm going to the gym," Adrien replied, distracted. Once his shirt was on, he bent down to put on proper shoes.

"But you have a gym at home."

"I suddenly like the gym in school."

"But you have a gym at _home_ ," Plagg repeated, as though Adrien didn't hear him the first time. "And, cheese."

Adrien chuckled. He knew Plagg would bring that up. Winking at his kwami, Adrien patted a box at the corner of his locker. When Plagg opened it, he almost yelled in delight. It was a box full of cheese!

Plagg wasted no time in stuffing the cheese into his tiny mouth. He closed his eyes in happiness, but opened them again just briefly to say, "Your shirt's on backwards."

* * *

Adrien stood by the gym doors for almost five minutes. He was suddenly nervous, and he had begun sweating even though he hadn't even begun his work out.

He shook his head, shaking away his anxiety. It was just Marinette. Just Marinette.

"Marinette!"

Adrien jumped. The door had suddenly opened and Marinette walked out. Her eyes were as wide as Adrien's as they stared at each other, neither saying a word. She had pushed her fringe back with a headband, and Adrien couldn't help but take in the beads of sweat on her forehead.

He was the first to recover. "Marinette," he began slowly, trying to keep his disappointment from showing. "You're done with your workout? You're leaving now?"

Marinette blinked and swallowed hard. "No, I was just getting a drink. I forgot my bottle."

She was surprised she didn't stutter. She was even more surprised when Adrien's hand suddenly shot out, a bottle in hand. He almost cringed. _Get it together_ , he yelled to himself.

"Here," he said, as calmly and steadily as he could.

Marinette slowly reached out. She tried her best to avoid brushing her fingertips against Adrien's hand, but she couldn't. Her hands were just shaking too much.

When she touched him, her heart skipped a beat and she shuffled nervously on her feet. Adrien scratched the back of his neck, a gesture Marinette remembered when they accidentally touched hands in her room while training for the gaming tournament.

"Thank you," she said softly. Once she took a small sip, she looked into his eyes again. "You're going to the gym too?"

"Yeah, I was. Hey, Marinette, just finish up my water. You must be thirsty. I have another bottle in my bag here," Adrien said, gesturing to his gym bag.

Marinette smiled gratefully at him and took several gulps as gracefully as she could. It quenched her thirst immensely, and she shut her eyes in delight. When she opened her eyes to look at Adrien, he smiled and nodded towards the gym, and they headed in.

Marinette went to the treadmill again, and Adrien was curious, but he didn't ask. He took the machine beside hers after stretching, and then they began running.

Neither of them said anything to each other. It was a comfortable silence, with just the music playing from Marinette's phone and the thumping of their feet filling the room. They were the only ones here. Occasionally, they would look over at each other and give small, shy smiles.

They kept running, keeping good speed, until Marinette pressed the button to increase her speed. Adrien stared as she ran faster, faster than him.

He then pressed the button on his own machine, picking a speed faster than hers. Marinette looked over at Adrien, and he returned her look with a smug grin.

She frowned at him, but couldn't help a competitive smile. For some reason, she decided to increase her speed too.

Which led to Adrien increasing his.

Then Marinette increasing hers.

And it went on and on, until Adrien couldn't keep up with the speed his treadmill was going. With a yelp, he was shot back and fell to the ground with a thud. He groaned, rubbing his back.

Marinette couldn't stop the laughter from bubbling out of her mouth. Her speed was a little slower than Adrien's, but she could barely keep up, and coupled with her laughing, it sent her flying back too.

She landed on the ground beside Adrien.

Now it was his turn to laugh. They laughed until their stomachs hurt, and when they were done, they laid on the ground and stared up at the ceiling. "And that concludes our core muscle work out," he joked, pointing to his stomach.

Marinette laughed again and rolled to her side, staring at Adrien. He remained on his back, but turned his head to look at her. He smiled warmly. "This was fun."

"It was," she agreed, genuinely, even though all they did was run and compete and fall on their butts. But, it meant a lot.

Adrien took in Marinette's flushed cheeks. The fact that she was lying down next to him, looking at him in that way that makes his heart melt, made his face burn too, but he was glad he could use the work out as an excuse for the state of his red face and ears.

They stared at each other for a long time, neither wanting to move away.

Adrien broke the silence after a while. "Marinette," he whispered.

"Hmm?" she asked.

"Will you be my workout buddy?"

She blinked, her lips parting slightly. All this time, Marinette has been working out in the gym alone. It was a good way to escape and be in her own thoughts, but most of the time, it would get lonely. She had always hoped someone would walk in through the gym doors, and even if they didn't stick around her, at least she wouldn't be alone.

She never thought the person who would answer her prayers would be Adrien.

Marinette smiled widely and gave her friend a nod. He beamed too, returning his gaze to the ceiling and giving a contented sigh. He was glad. The gym in his house had been making him feel incredibly lonely too.

But now, he has Marinette.

As a workout buddy, he meant.

* * *

 _Two more shorter chapters are coming. One of them includes Alya and Nino because they demanded to be written about too_ _. Thank you for reading. Do leave a review if you wish. :)_


	2. Nino and Alya

The final bell rang, signalling the end of school. Nino looked nervously at his friend. He had told Adrien about his predicament, and his friend had promised to help. Adrien returned Nino's troubled look with a smile and a thumbs up, a way of saying, _I got your back_.

That comforted him, and Nino let out a breath of relief. He watched as Alya walked past him and headed out the classroom, but not before giving Nino a glance and smile. He beamed at her, and she giggled quietly before leaving.

Once the classroom was empty, Nino grabbed his bag from the floor and searched for the gift.

"Here it is," he said with relief, placing the journal gently on his table. It was a thick medium-sized red journal with black polka dots.

Adrien blinked at it and laughed in amazement. "Ladybug!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, man," Nino nodded, slightly bashful. "I saw it and thought of her."

"She'll love it," Adrien said sincerely, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. Nino smiled and hoped he was right.

"Let's start wrapping! And no, that isn't the cue for you to start _rapping_ songs, Adrien."

* * *

It took almost half an hour to wrap the gift. Nino and Adrien somehow ended up sprawled on the ground. Nino stretched out his arms and held up the gift, like how Rafiki presented Simba to the pride lands. Adrien stared at it with a finger on his chin.

"It doesn't look right," said Nino. Not right was right. The alignment of the red wrapping paper was so out of place that its pale red underside could be seen. The tape holding the paper in place was far too obvious and unsightly, with slightly raised bumps and very far from straight.

The gift, frankly, was horribly wrapped.

"This won't do," Nino shook his head. "We gotta start over."

"No worries," Adrien shrugged. "I brought emergency wrapping papers!"

Adrien took out a roll of wrapping paper from underneath his desk with a grin on his face. Out of gratitude, Nino squealed manly.

* * *

This time, it took them more than half an hour, several long wooden rulers, double-sided tape, sweaty palms, and incredibly unnecessary precision to wrap the gift.

But it was worth it, for the gift looked perfect.

Almost.

Adrien held his breath and stared unblinkingly as Nino slowly and carefully stuck a ribbon to the centre. When it was done, the boys cheered and danced around the classroom with joy at their success.

They failed to realise that the recipient of the gift was standing outside the classroom, staring at them through the window. When they did notice though, it was far too late as Alya was already doubling over with laughter.

The boys rushed out to regain their dignity.

"How long were you standing there?!" Nino exclaimed. Adrien hid the gift behind him as he stood behind his friend. He hoped his face wasn't as red as the tip of Nino's ears.

"Relax," Alya said, laughing. "I only saw everything from the moment you two started having a mini-dance party in there. Haha! What were you doing anyway?"

Nino turned to take the gift from Adrien and pouted at Alya, who was laughing still. He held the gift out for her to see but held it close to him instead. "Well, I was going to give you a present, but since you've made me feel embarrassed, I guess I'll just keep it for me and Adrien."

"Wait! I'm sorry!" Alya said between laughs. "I promise I'll stop laughing. I'm really sorry! But anyway, I thought it was cute!"

"Really?" Nino smirked and Adrien laughed. Alya nodded enthusiastically, a wide grin on her face.

"Okay then, apology accepted."

Nino handed Alya the gift and she held it gingerly in her hands.

"Open it!" urged Nino, the nervousness from earlier on completely dissipated upon seeing the look on her face.

Alya carefully opened her gift, making sure not to rip the wrapping paper. She was sentimental about things like this and loved to keep the wrapping papers that her gifts come in. Once she laid eyes on the gift, her jaw dropped and morphed into a bright smile. She even did a tiny wiggle dance too. She looked up at Nino and wrapped her arms around him.

He relaxed into her, hugging her back tightly. "I love it," she said, her words muffled by his shoulder. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it."

Alya pulled away but kept her arms around Nino. "But, what's the occasion?"

Nino simply shrugged. "No occasion. I just wanted to give someone special to me something special."

"Oh, Nino," Alya whispered, hugging him again. She opened her eyes and smiled at the friend she had almost forgotten. "And thank you, Adrien."

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. "I just helped to wrap it, that's all. Anyway, I think I should get going. See you guys tomorrow!"

They said their goodbyes, and Adrien headed to his locker to drop off his books. Alya and Nino remained where they were, talking quietly and excitedly. They paused abruptly when they caught sight of Adrien stopping dead in his tracks, a few feet away from them.

"What's wrong with him?" Alya asked curiously.

"I dunno," Nino shrugged. "Is that the gym? Maybe he saw something inside."

Alya suddenly smacked Nino on the arm, excited. "Marinette's in there!"

"Oh yeah, she goes to the gym on Tuesdays right? Adrien does too, but he uses the gym in his house."

"Looks like that won't be happening today. Look!" Alya pointed to their friend, who was walking back towards the locker room. His face was blank and he looked as though he was in a trance.

They followed him silently, hiding outside, under the windows so that Adrien wouldn't see them. Once he was done, they watched as he walked back to the gym. When he stood outside the doors, unmoving, Alya gave Nino an alarming look. To which Nino responded with a shrug.

But still, he tried to formulate a theory. "I think Adrien is becoming fond of Marinette. He's gotten to know her better, so I think he's beginning to admire her. Although, I really don't know why he's acting so shy and weird. He's not normally like that."

"Does he like her?" Alya asked, hopeful.

"Not sure. Maybe? We don't talk about these kind of things all that much."

"Well then start talking about it!"

Nino laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll ask him about it tomorrow. For now, do you think there's any way for us to get Marinette out, so that Adrien would have no choice but to go in once she sees him standing outside in training gear?"

"How do we know he won't turn into a cat and run away?"

Nino shook his head confidently. "My man Adrien won't run. He's a brave one."

Alya smiled at Nino lovingly. "He's not the only one."

"Aww," squealed Nino, clasping his hands together and holding them against his chest.

"Which is why _you're_ going to go inside to take Marinette's bottle. She'll have to go outside to grab another when she gets thirsty."

"Hey!"

* * *

It worked. Nino had sneaked into the gym and snatched Marinette's pink bottle away. They only had to wait a few minutes before Marinette went outside and bumped into Adrien. They hid inside the locker room that was beside the gym, listening in to the conversation, and waiting until Adrien and Marinette finally went inside.

They then crouched outside the gym and watched their friends through the window. It was only some time later that Alex and Kim walked towards them.

They looked like they were heading into the gym, so Alya put a finger to her lips and motioned for them to crouch down too.

"What are you two doing?" Alex whispered.

"Watching Adrien and Marinette. Aren't they cute?"

Curious, Kim and Alex peeked in through the windows. There were Adrien and Marinette, but all they did was run on the treadmill. They weren't even talking, save for occasional glances. "Okay…?" said Kim questioningly.

"They're not doing anything." Alex pointed out.

"They're bonding," Nino said.

"This doesn't happen very much," Alya added.

Alex snorted. "We can tell," replied Kim. "I'm guessing you want those two to be alone in there?"

Alya and Nino nodded, giving innocent smiles to their friends.

"Fine," Kim sighed. He turned to Alex and grinned. "I guess we're going swimming today."

"Sounds good," she nodded, smiling at him. "We're leaving, and you two should too. Give them some privacy. I bet something will only happen between them the moment you two leave."

Alya and Nino considered this, and eventually decided she was right. True enough, the moment they left, Marinette and Adrien began their little competition, followed by the fateful falling-on-butt.

* * *

 _A daily update! Final chapter coming tomorrow. Thank you for all the support :)_


	3. Chat Noir and Ladybug

"Why do you run so much?" Adrien asked Marinette one day.

They had just finished a workout session and were sitting side by side on the ground, backs against the mirror. For the past few weeks, Adrien had noticed that Marinette spends more time at the treadmill running than any other kinds of workout.

Marinette looked at him worriedly. His green eyes were kind and comforting and familiar. Spending time together like this has made them grow closer together. They joked a lot, flirted occasionally, and shared deep stories about each other's lives. They had begun to understand each other in ways they never did before. But even though they had grown to become very good friends, they both couldn't help but feel that there was something about the other that was beyond their grasp.

And they were right.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anything either of them could do about it, because they couldn't very well share their biggest, _miraculous_ secret.

And so, when Marinette finally answered, she spoke slowly, as though weighing her words before speaking them.

"I run a lot so that I can do _this_!" She finished the sentence by snatching Adrien's bottle from his hands and running away from him. Her laughter followed her trail like a shadow.

Adrien smirked as he got up to chase her. She was a fast runner, and he knew he could only catch her if he outsmarted her. Adrien took an alternative route around the gym so that he would end up in front of Marinette. She ran straight into him and he grabbed her tightly, holding her to him.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed.

She laughed and tried to smack him away, but her arms were pinned to her sides as Adrien kept his arms around her. He laughed at her feeble attempt. It was so adorable that Adrien couldn't resist leaning down and giving Marinette an Eskimo kiss, nose brushing against nose. Staring down into her familiar blue eyes, he said breathlessly, "Not bad."

Marinette laughed again, quietly this time. "Not bad yourself."

A moment passed and Adrien's eyes widened as he suddenly realised what he did. He let go of Marinette slowly, so as to not startle or offend her. He shifted on his feet nervously. "Sorry. I don't know why I did that."

"It's alright," Marinette cleared her throat awkwardly and straightened her shirt. She handed Adrien the bottle and gave a small smile. She could feel her nervousness creeping in on her, thanks to the feeling of Adrien's warm body against hers. It comes back from time to time, the nervousness, even though she had long been able to deliver coherent sentences to the boy.

"Sorry about, you know, that. The bottle, I meant. And making you run. And I'm sorry because, well I… You see, the thing is, I can't give you an answer to your question. I mean. I guess maybe perhaps possibly I could come up with an excuse but then I'd be, uh, I would be lying, to you. And I don't want to. It's just… I can't tell you because it's something that's kind of… you know, personal. And it's not that I don't trust you! Because I do. Trust you. Of course! It's just…"

Adrien held his hand up to stop her. "I understand," he said sincerely. "There are just some things we can't tell anyone. We all have our secrets."

He winked and Marinette nodded, grateful that he didn't question her further. Adrien wondered what kind of secrets Marinette has, but he decided it was best not to pry. After all, curiosity killed the cat.

* * *

Chat Noir and Ladybug ran.

They occasionally looked at each other with deep frowns on their faces. Every time their eyes met, they would scowl.

They landed on the Eiffel Tower at the same time. Chat Noir crossed his arms as Ladybug walked angrily towards him.

"I got here first!" Ladybug yelled.

"No! I did!" Chat insisted. He was actually on the brink of laughter.

Ladybug groaned loudly in annoyance for all of Paris to hear. "Fine! Let's just be mature young adults and agree that we got here at the same time."

"That's no fun," he scoffed.

"This is the second time tonight we're competing. Both times ended with a tie! I'm not going to run _again_ just to prove a point."

"C'mon, My Lady," Chat said, the fake frown dissipating from his face, replaced by his signature smirk. "Third time's the charm. Time to find out which one of us is really the fastest."

Ladybug crossed her arms and looked away. "Nope," she simply said.

"Come on. You afraid to lose?" Chat said challengingly. When she looked at him, there was a glint in her eyes and a grin on her face. Chat Noir almost laughed and beamed with self-pride – he knew his lady well.

"You asked for it," she said.

Ladybug reached behind Chat Noir to grab his stick, then took off, running and jumping from roof to roof. She caught Chat by surprise, but he recovered quickly and chased after her.

He knew she was fast, and they didn't have to compete for her to prove it. But Chat just loved the look on her face every time she tried to convince him she won, then exasperatedly gave up and decided that it was a tie. She looked so cute. And it really was a tie.

This time though, she got a head start. He decided the best way to catch her was to outsmart her. A while later, Ladybug saw Chat Noir running at her left, straight towards her. But as soon as she noticed him, it was too late, and they crashed into each other.

Chat kept his arms around Ladybug and tucked her head into his chest to protect her as they fell and rolled into a random rooftop. They came to a halt with Chat underneath Ladybug, a grin on his face as she propped herself up without getting off him.

"It's a tie," he told her.

"No, you won. You caught me."

There was something off in her voice, even though she said it with a smile, and it didn't go unnoticed by Chat Noir.

"Only because you took so many turns to try and throw me off. You were heading towards the school – I figured it out at your fifth turn. After that I just ran in a straight line and hoped that we somehow would end up colliding."

"Guess that makes you a really smart kitty."

"I am, thank you for noticing. But I must admit, it takes _a lot_ to outsmart you," he said genuinely.

Ladybug smiled down at him and ruffled his already messy hair before getting off. There was an odd look on Ladybug's face as she tried to get up and leave.

Before she could, Chat grabbed her wrist gently and pulled her down again. They sat together, legs intertwined. Chat moved his grip to her hands, holding them tenderly.

"Ladybug," he began quietly, remembering the worries she had voiced out to him earlier in the day, "you didn't need to prove to me or yourself that you're a fast runner. You just saved a woman's life today! If you had gotten to her a second too late, she would have been pushed and she'd fall into the river.

"And that's just today. Every day you save people, and you always get there in the nick of time. You don't have to worry or think you're putting lives at risk because you aren't fast enough. Because, my lady, you're as fast as lightning. Metaphorically speaking."

She smiled at him and teared up at the words. He understood her so well, sometimes, even better than herself, and he always knew what to say or how to make her feel better.

Ladybug removed one of her hands from Chat's tender grip and placed it on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. She looked into his eyes and earnestly thanked him.

He half-joked that she should thank him with a hug.

Ladybug immediately complied.

When they had said their goodbyes and went separate ways, they each thought about their workout buddy. Marinette, confused over her ability to confide and find comfort in Chat Noir and not in her own crush. And Adrien, upset over his inability to help everyone around him _but_ the one person he had started caring a lot about – Marinette.

They both decided that secrets truly were the hardest burden anyone had to carry. Especially when you don't have a choice.

* * *

 _Originally, I intended for 3 chapters and this was the ending I had planned out. Didn't expect such overwhelming support, so I ended up becoming dissatisfied with this ending. As such, this isn't the end of the story! I'll keep on posting several more chapters until it finally feels right to conclude. Thank you for all the support! :) I guess I'll see you soon :)_


	4. Ice cream and blue things

Big, bold red letters stared at Marinette and Adrien.

 **CLOSED** _._

It's been three months since the two of them had become workout buddies. They knew a temporary closure was to be expected, but they didn't expect it to be so soon.

"Equipment checks and changes. Closed for a week, kids," said a man with a clipboard.

"No gym for a week?" Marinette repeated. She gestured to Adrien with a look of worry on her face. "But monsieur, my friend will get flabby if he doesn't go to gym at least once every three days. Look, it's already starting!"

Marinette turned to Adrien and began poking and pinching his arm to prove her point.

"For your information, I'm _shredded_ ," Adrien insisted, flexing his biceps with an exaggerated pose and puffing his cheeks, making Marinette laugh.

The man gave him an amused look and smiled at Marinette. "My colleagues and I will try to work as quickly as we can, miss."

Marinette and Adrien thanked the man, who chuckled at the two of them before saying goodbye and entering the gym, getting right to work.

"So what do we do now?" asked Marinette once the man was gone.

"We should go get some ice cream."

"The flabbiness begins."

Adrien laughed loudly and held Marinette's hand, pulling her along and chuckling at her attempts to come up with unrealistic reasons as to why he was the one who caused the closure of the gym.

Marinette, of course, was just doing that as a cover to hide her excitement and glee over being invited for ice cream and holding hands with Adrien. She wished Alya could see her now – that girl would be proud.

* * *

"I knew it."

Adrien and Marinette were walking to the park, ice cream in hand. "Knew what?" Marinette asked.

"That you liking strawberry flavoured ice cream was a myth."

Laughing, Marinette said, "It isn't a myth. I do like strawberry. I just happen to think that rocky road looks a lot more appetising today."

Adrien looked at her, nodding in agreement. Her ice cream did look incredibly delicious. But, his was better. He had bought chocolate flavour and asked for two flat biscuits. Then he stuck each biscuit to the ice cream so that the sides pointing out were triangular in shape, resembling cat ears. When it was done, he showed it to Marinette with pride.

She had burst out laughing in the ice cream shop at the sight of Adrien's ice cream and his excited face. Marinette thought it was both adorable and unfortunate that he had a thing for cats.

They sat on a bench once they got to the park and watched in quiet contentment at the younger children playing around them. Adrien sighed suddenly.

"What is it?" Marinette asked.

"Nothing," he shrugged. "Just thinking about an old memory."

Marinette inched closer to him and stared at him with a look of profound interest, a way of coaxing him to go on. He laughed at the look on her face and relented.

"When I was little," he began carefully, "my mum used to drag me and my dad out to the park. She was always complaining how we didn't get enough sun. Dad was always in the studio working, and I was always in my room, forever occupied with something new and different every day.

"So she would drag us out – literally grabbing our hands or shirts and pulling us out the door," he laughed at the memory. "We would always pretend that we couldn't move every time she dragged us. That made her laugh. I think we did that because we loved hearing her laugh."

He paused, smiling sadly. "When we got to the park, all we would do all day was laugh. My parents brought along a tiny radio sometimes, and they would dance to old songs while I ran around chasing cats and butterflies. It didn't seem like much, but those days were the best days of my life."

Marinette cautiously put a hand over Adrien's. "She must have been very lovely."

"She was," Adrien smiled. He looked at Marinette, into her deep blue eyes that spilled of comfort and friendship and something else… love? Has it always been there?

A few moments passed. Adrien blinked himself out of Marinette's gaze and laughed nervously. "I've never told anyone that before. I don't talk about my mum all that much. It still hurts. It hurts to think about her and what was lost, what could have been, and what had become."

"That's because you're associating her with negative thoughts. What you told me about her and your family just now, that came from a place of love. That's where you should keep and remember her. Her memory doesn't have to bring you pain," Marinette said gently. Adrien stared at her and considered it.

"You're right," he agreed, nodding with a smile. "Thank you, Marinette."

Marinette couldn't speak another word because of the way Adrien was looking at her, so she returned his gratitude with a nod. Adrien sensed her tensing up, something he was able to detect after a few weeks of spending time with her. He smiled warmly and nudged her, "Deep down inside, you're a wise old man aren't you?"

Marinette laughed, her nervousness dissipating as quickly as it came. "You finally figured out why I'm so much more mature than you!"

"Hey, I'm pretty mature too."

"Says the person who gave his ice cream cat ears."

* * *

"Is it just me or are you sparkling today?" Ladybug asked Chat Noir. Night had fallen, and her black cat had been beaming as brightly as the stars the entire time they were on patrol.

"Sparkling? That's one way to put it."

"You get what I mean. Now come on, tell me what it is that's got you smiling so much."

They were sitting on top of a rooftop, a tall but secluded one that gave them a good view of the streets below. Chat Noir sighed and stared up at the stars gleaming above them. "A friend brought me comfort today over something that I never thought I could ever be comforted about."

Ladybug smiled. "That must be a really special friend."

"Yeah," Chat Noir said after a moment. He smiled too. "She is."

 _She?_ Ladybug felt her stomach twist into knots. She tried swatting the feeling away, knowing exactly what it was and desperately wanting the green bug to leave her. In fact, she didn't even know why the green bug was here in the first place. She has never thought of Chat Noir in that way. They had their moments, especially when Chat Noir made jokes that genuinely made Ladybug laughed. Or when he comforts her when she cries and feels weak and vulnerable, and he _still_ admires her and thinks of her as the strongest person he knows. Ladybug doesn't know what she would do without Chat Noir. He means a great deal to her.

She glanced over at him and watched how the moonbeams cast a soft glow on his features. He suddenly looked so distant from Ladybug, and she almost shifted closer to him to close the distance between them.

"Does she mean a lot to you?" Ladybug asked quietly. She didn't want to, but she desperately wanted to know.

Chat Noir stared at her oddly. "She's beginning to. But, she's putting me in a difficult place."

Ladybug felt her heart lighten. "Really? Why?"

"I don't know how to explain it because I don't quite understand it myself," Chat Noir admitted. He looked into Ladybug's eyes and saw nothing but confusion and warmth and… love. Strange, he thought, has it always been there?

He sighed, sadly this time, and tore his eyes away from hers. "I feel like I'm trapped in between the sky and the sea, and I don't know if I should fly or swim."

Ladybug stared at him. He knew she understood what he meant. That his feelings for Ladybug were clearly real and prevalent, and that he was beginning to have feelings for his friend.

Ladybug understood this feeling too.

There was a pause between them, and in the distance, Ladybug swore she could hear the sky and the sea beginning to weep.

"The sky," she whispered with a small smile suddenly. "Aren't cats afraid of water?"

Chat Noir chuckled quietly. "You're right. The problem is, which one is which? They are far too alike; I can't tell the difference."

Ladybug sighed. "I feel like you're speaking in riddles today."

Chat Noir leaned back and looked up again. "It must be because of the stars."

* * *

The rain started pouring when they parted. Ladybug slid into her room and shook wet droplets from her hair and clothes. Tikki stared at her friend worriedly and asked, "Chat Noir isn't the only one who can't choose between two people, is he?"

Marinette walked over to her bed and laid down, resting her arm over her eyes. She was tired and upset.

"He's stuck between the sky and the sea, I'm stranded between green, rolling hills."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

* * *

 _"I heard Chat Noir has an 8-pack. That he's shredded." … or something like that._


	5. Arm day and wishes

"Wow, my lady, you're so strong."

Ladybug smirked at Chat Noir. She was carrying him in her arms, away from the streets full of people, to a secluded alleyway. He had injured his foot during the fight, and while he was still able to walk just fine on his own, he was moving far too slow to find a place to hide before his transformation wears off.

And so, Ladybug scooped him into her arms and ran. Once they were hidden, Ladybug set Chat Noir down gently and stretched her arms over her head. "Oh, it was nothing," she said, winking at him.

Chat Noir gave a knowing grin. "You're exhausted from carrying me, aren't you?"

Ladybug gasped. "I'll have you know I'm a frequent gym goer. These guns aren't just for show."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really," Ladybug said, leaning down and giving Chat Noir a nose boop with her finger. "Now don't be upset about getting injured today, alright? You were awesome, as always, and I couldn't have gotten the akuma without you. In fact, if you hadn't intervened in the fight, I would've broken my arm, or worse! So thank you, Chat Noir. I owe you so much."

Chat Noir tried to give a smirk and give a cheeky remark, but a genuine smile found its way onto his lips instead. All he could manage was a quiet thank you.

Ladybug knelt in front of him and touched his cheek, ignoring the sound of his beeping ring. She adored the look on his face. "Will you be alright?"

"I will, but _you_ won't if you don't leave soon. I'll be transforming back to my regular old self, and if you saw my face, you might swoon too hard and faint," he winked.

"You keep telling me that, mon chaton. I'll be so disappointed if it doesn't actually happen," Ladybug laughed and stood up, turning to leave. She made her way up to the rooftop and jumped her way home, all the while hoping her partner would reach home safe.

* * *

Marinette groaned. From the corner of her eye, she could see Adrien watching her intensely. "Come on Marinette, just a little bit more," he said.

She groaned again and pushed with all her might. She could feel it lifting, bit by bit. Every inch was satisfactory. Finally, she straightened her arms and held the barbell high above her head. Adrien erupted into cheers, and Marinette gently brought the immense weight down.

She sat up and stretched her arms above her head. They had spent the entire afternoon working on their arms. Adrien's foot still hurt, but he didn't want to tell Marinette and make her worry, so he insisted they made today's workout solely an arm day.

He handed her a bottle. "My arms feel like jelly," said Marinette after a long sip.

"The sign of a successful arm day."

"Your arms don't look that successful, though," she said teasingly.

"Oh, really?" Adrien chuckled. "Maybe I should add boxing to my list of sport activities then? On top of fencing and gym with you?"

"Sounds like a plan. You can stop when you have guns like mine." Marinette showed him her biceps, earning her a fit of laughter from Adrien.

"Looks like I've got a long way to go!" he said sarcastically.

"Better get started then."

"I'll get to it, right after you finish your set with these barbells. I mean, you have to set a high standard for me to catch up to, right?" Adrien gave Marinette a cheeky smile. She gave Adrien an amused and annoyed look, but got back to work with lifting the heavy weights.

Adrien watched Marinette, admiring her strength and dedication. She reminded him of Ladybug.

 _No, don't start comparing them,_ Adrien thought to himself. He recalled what he had told Ladybug several nights ago, about how he was trapped between the sky and the sea. He tried to choose between them, but he couldn't come to a decision.

He couldn't choose Ladybug because Ladybug didn't love him in that way, and if he tried to push it, it could ruin their partnership, which was far more complicated than ruining a friendship, because the safety of Paris and her citizens were at stake if a rift came between them.

And he couldn't choose Marinette, even though he was falling for her fast, because she deserved so much, but Adrien knew he could only give her half of him since Chat Noir had to remain a secret, and he would risk Marinette's safety if her told her.

So that ruled out choosing through reasoning, and Adrien was back to square one. If only they were the same person, Adrien thought, then all his problems would be solved.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to go patrolling tonight?" Ladybug asked Chat Noir.

"My ankle's fine. I stayed off it today, and it feels a whole lot better now."

"But it still hurts a little, doesn't it? I saw you wince when you landed just now. Don't you want to rest?"

Chat Noir laughed. "My lady, if I decided to rest every time I was hurting, then I would never get out of bed." He placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them to reassure her even though he had unknowingly startled her deeply with what he had just said.

"I'll be fine," he said. "I'll take it easy tonight."

She stared into his green eyes and placed a hand on his cheek, something that was becoming a more and more frequent gesture. Ladybug felt Chat Noir lean his head into her hand, and she smiled. "Alright," she said. "But if I see you wince even once, I'll break your leg myself to make sure you get that rest."

"Wow, nothing is more heart-warming than loving threats from my lady!"

"Silly kitty," Ladybug said, laughing at him as they parted and went on with their individual patrols. She made sure to keep her eyes on him throughout the night. If Chat Noir fell, Ladybug knew she would go running to him in a heartbeat.

* * *

"I can't believe you and Adrien _still_ aren't together," Alya complained. It was a Saturday morning, and Alya had decided to come over to Marinette's house for some delicious food. They hung out in her room and caught up. It was an odd thing to do – to fill each other in with details of their own lives. They see each other every day, but it seems like they've been so far away, leading lives completely separate from one another. Marinette never knew she could miss Alya so much.

"I mean, you two already act like a couple," Alya went on. "Clearly you like each other a lot, you're practically inseparable. There's nothing holding you two back from being together. I just don't understand, Marinette."

"I know," Marinette said quietly. "I think maybe we're just waiting for the right moment?"

"The right moment?" Alya asked sceptically.

"Yeah," Marinette said, unconvincingly. " _The_ moment. I'm sure it'll come someday."

"And then what? You'll kiss him when the right moment arrives?"

Marinette blushed. "Something like that."

"Marinette," Alya said softly, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's been months. The right moment won't come unless _you_ make it happen. Love takes effort. But it's worth it."

Marinette stared at Alya sadly. Her friend was right, of course, but she was missing one important detail: Marinette's secret life. And that secret life involved a particular cat that makes her want to wrap her arms around him and listen to the beating of his heart in his chest at night, and figuring out if he could purr like a real cat. It was far more complicated than waiting for the right moment, it was also about choosing the right person, and Marinette desperately wanted to tell Alya that. Alya would know what to do.

But Marinette couldn't, so she stayed silent and nodded. Alya smiled lovingly at her friend. "Oh, Marinette, come here," she said, spreading her arms. Marinette embraced her and closed her eyes, feeling nothing but the Alya's warmth and her hair being stroked affectionately. "You can do it, girl. You deserve love and happiness. And Adrien can give you that."

No, Marinette thought, it won't be… enough. She couldn't choose Adrien over Chat Noir. But she can't choose Chat Noir over Adrien either.

It was all so confusing. Marinette sighed and tightened her grip on Alya. For the first time, she desperately wished Adrien and Chat Noir were the same person. At least then she wouldn't have to choose between them.

But of course, nothing ever goes the way Marinette hoped. Or at least, that was what she thought.


	6. Green eyes and green eyes

When Marinette sat on her rooftop to watch the stars, the last thing she expected to see was a black cat making its way towards her. She felt her breath hitch at the sight of him. He was lean, his movements smooth, and his blond hair an untamed mess. She didn't know why, but somehow, his green eyes seemed particularly luminescent tonight. His pupils were large as he stared down at her, a small sly smile on his face. They stared at each other for the longest of time, neither one brave enough to break the silence between them.

"It's chilly tonight," Chat Noir said after a while. Marinette almost jumped at the sound of his voice. It was low, like a whisper, as though he was afraid the people on the streets below could hear him.

Marinette blinked once. Twice. 'Yes', she wanted to say, but it came out as a soundless breath of air. She nodded when she realised she couldn't speak. Marinette blamed Chat Noir's peculiar bright eyes.

"What are you doing out here at this time of night, princess?" he asked, with an affectionate emphasis on her nickname.

Marinette cleared her throat, not knowing whether to cringe or swoon at the nickname, and looked away from Chat Noir's eyes and over his shoulder instead. "Just thinking," she whispered.

She hoped Chat Noir wouldn't start flirting with her like he did the first time he met her civilian form. If he really liked Ladybug, then he wouldn't start flirting with other girls, right? Marinette wouldn't know what she would do if he did. She was certain her heart would break into pieces. After all, she was beginning to fall for him, fast.

But wouldn't that make things clearer for her? If Chat Noir doesn't have feelings for Ladybug, then Marinette wouldn't be torn between him and Adrien. The choice would be so much easier. Sure, it involves picking up pieces of a broken heart, but that's better than being stuck between a rock and a hard place, not knowing which way to go.

And so, Marinette waited, half of her hoping Chat Noir would start flirting, and the other half hoping he wouldn't.

But Chat Noir kept a distance from her. He didn't want to confuse Marinette by making her think that Chat Noir may be attracted to her. He had to consciously keep reminding himself to _not_ be drawn in by Marinette's warmth. He had to tell himself to not stare at her for too long, because the glow of the moon softly lighting her features and the darkness of her eyes and the softness of her lips didn't help at all.

Chat Noir couldn't remember if he had spoken. He wanted to ask her what she was thinking about, and he thought that he did, but judging from the silence that fell between them again, he figured he had forgotten to ask. But that was fine by him. The silence was welcomed; it was familiar and comforting, like they've done it a hundred times – and they have.

"Do you ever get tired of it?" Marinette asked suddenly.

Chat looked at her, confused. "Of what?" he asked.

"This," she gestured to him. "Being a superhero, sacrificing your time and risking your life for people you don't know."

"No," Chat Noir answered without hesitation. He leaned against the railings of the roof, staring out into the quiet city. He felt Marinette step beside him, an arm's length away. "I love being Chat Noir. I love keeping people safe. I may not know them, but I do know that to someone else in the world, they're important and loved. I have the power to stop people from losing their loved ones. That's why it's worth it to risk and sacrifice so much."

Marinette looked at him with new, profound interest and admiration. She already knew Chat Noir had a big heart, but she didn't realise how true and noble his heart was. When his eyes met hers, Marinette gasped. They were kind, and brighter than the stars behind him. The hues of green and the gentleness in them mesmerised her. Looking into his eyes like this; it felt so familiar. It reminded her of…

 _Adrien._

Marinette looked away and shook her head. When she looked back at Chat Noir, she wasn't surprised to see an odd look on his face. She coughed, trying to recall what they were talking about before. _Ah, yes_ , she remembered, _being a superhero._

"Paris is lucky to have a hero like you."

Chat Noir blinked. He seemed to have forgotten their conversation too. A look of realisation fell upon his face after a moment, then, with a wide smile on his face, Chat Noir added fondly, "And Ladybug."

Marinette laughed quietly. "And Ladybug."

* * *

Adrien stared at Marinette, wondering why she was so quiet today. When he asked her, she had smiled and said that it was nothing. Naturally, Adrien didn't believe her. He wanted to find out what was in her head. He wanted very much to heal all the pain she held in her heart. Marinette fascinated Adrien endlessly, and he hated seeing her troubled.

She was on the treadmill today. He was on the treadmill beside her, and it reminded him so much of their first day as workout buddies. So much time had gone by since then, and he smiled thinking of how much closer they had gotten these past few months.

Marinette glanced over at him and grinned. "What are you smiling about?"

"The treadmill just told me a great joke."

"Oh?"

Adrien smirked. "What kind of belt does a postman _*_ wear?"

"I don't know, what?"

"A _convey_ er belt!"

The joke wasn't funny, but the look on Adrien's face made Marinette laugh so hard that she was thrown off the treadmill. She landed on her butt with a look of shock on her face. Adrien looked back at her and laughed, only to lose his balance and be flung back too. He landed beside her with a grunt, and they laughed.

"This is familiar," Marinette said, sitting up after their laughter had subsided.

Adrien grinned. "I was just thinking about the first time we were here together, and then this happened."

Marinette nodded at him with a smile on her face. Adrien smiled too, genuinely this time. He leaned forward and gently took her hands in his. He was amazed at how they looked so soft, but were actually rough and calloused. Turning her hand in his, Adrien studied her fingers. He always thought he was one to admire ladies with soft fingers, but he realised how wrong he was.

Marinette had the fingers of a hard worker, a dedicated soul, and a strong spirit. He can just picture them working; over her sewing machine, in the gym, in the bakery, in school. Adrien admired her fingers. He admired _her._

When Adrien looked back up and into Marinette's eyes, he heard her gasp. It was familiar, the first time he heard it was on that rainy day, when he first called her his friend. And last night, he heard that gasp too, but as Chat Noir. He wondered what it meant. Adrien stared into her eyes, trying to figure her out, but once again, failing to. But that didn't mean he would give up. He knew one day he would get to the bottom of it; he would finally understand her. And even then, he was sure he would never get tired of her. Because truly, Marinette fascinated Adrien endlessly.

* * *

"Tikki, am I just imagining it?" Marinette asked later that night. They were on the rooftop again, but this time, there was no black cat in sight. "Was that really the same look they were giving me, or am I imagining it because I really want them to be the same person?"

"I don't think you're imagining it," Tikki said, resting her cheek against Marinette's. "I think you're just starting to notice the similarities between them."

"You believe they're the same person?"

"Why not? Think about it this way. How differently do you act around the two of them?"

Marinette thought about it for a moment. "I don't think there's any difference."

"Exactly! We all act differently when we're with different people. I'm not saying that we become different people entirely, but what I mean is certain characteristics of ours become more prominent or repressed, because different people bring out different things in us. Sometimes they're subtle, like how you act when you're with me, and when you're with, say, Alya. But there _are_ differences. We never act the same way towards different people. Everyone in the world is unique, and so how we interact with them is unique too."

"So what you're saying is, because I act the same way towards Adrien and Chat Noir, then they're the same person?"

"They _might_ be the same person."

"Because the differences in how I act when I'm with them may be subtle…"

"Yes," Tikki nodded sadly.

Marinette bit her lips, thinking hard. When inspiration came, her eyes flew wide open and she beamed at Tikki. "I think I know what I have to do."

Her kwami smiled and spread her arms wide for a hug. "Remember what Alya told you – love takes effort, but it's worth it. You _deserve_ love, Marinette. It will all work out soon, trust me, okay?"

Marinette looked at Tikki's large blue eyes, wide and full of hope. When Marinette shut her eyes, she could see nothing but the pair of eyes she had been thinking all day about, staring at her in familiar hues of green, and the same gentle, tender gaze. Those green eyes are worth it. Marinette opened her eyes again and smiled at Tikki, returning her tiny but warm hug.

"Okay."

* * *

 _A/N: *Postman = delivery man = mailman. We call it postman here._


	7. Roses and cabbages

They were having a picnic today. Alya and Nino were in charge of logistics and games, while Adrien helped Marinette with the food. Once they were settled under the shade in the park, the four friends ate and talked and laughed hard, letting the time go by with worries, for once, forgotten.

Marinette had brought along a small radio, and songs floated up around them once comfortable silence fell. When a slow song came up, Adrien smiled widely and held his hand out to Marinette. She looked at it, confused for a moment. Upon seeing the look on Adrien's face, Marinette blushed and placed her hand gently in his.

He pulled her up with ease and held her close to him. She wound her arms around his shoulders as he tenderly held her waist. Then, they began dancing. It started out with chuckles and cheeky grins. Adrien gave Marinette an impressed look. "You're not as bad of a dancer as I thought."

Marinette laughed. "Thanks? I could say the same about you, twinkle toes."

"What can I say? I've got sick moves."

"I would have thought someone with moves as _sick_ as yours would know that people don't normally slow dance to a song like this."

"What?!" Adrien said, shocked. He tried listening to the radio again, only to realise that the tempo of the song was faster than he thought.

"Oh, the disgrace!" Adrien exclaimed dramatically. "I've got to redeem myself."

In a swift move, Adrien took one of Marinette's hands in his and began leading her in circles around the park. She laughed at their comical dance and series of twirls. When their dance brought them to Alya and Nino, they stopped in front of their friends and began an exaggerated waltz, which was greeted by laughter so loud and hysterical that it followed the pair as their twirled away.

When the song finally changed to a real slow song, Adrien's eyes lit up and he stopped their dance. He returned his hands to Marinette's waist and held her much closer than before. She looked up at him, shocked at the abrupt change and close proximity. Adrien merely grinned and leaned down, saying, "Told you I've got sick moves."

Marinette laughed again and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "You _are_ the dancing queen."

Adrien chuckled at her joke and brushed his nose against hers. He let their foreheads touch as their danced to the slow song. He closed his eyes, breathing in the smell of cookies that Marinette smelled so strongly of. His heart was beating so loudly that he could barely hear the song, which could have possibly been singing about roses and cabbages. But then Marinette began humming it, and Adrien felt all his senses numb so that all parts of him could focus on the sound of her voice, for in that moment, it was the only thing that seemed to matter. And when her humming morphed into words, Adrien was glad he was holding onto Marinette, otherwise, he would have swooned.

 _"Puisque tu m'serres très fort  
C'est là mon trésor  
C'est toi, toi qui vaut de l'or," _she sang.

The song ended by then, but the two kept swaying to an invisible tune. When Adrien opened his eyes, he saw nothing but blue eyes staring up at him. He blinked in shock. Those eyes belonged to Marinette, but those eyes also belonged to _Ladybug_.

He resisted the urge to pull himself back, away from her. _What does it mean?_ he asked himself. Was he seeing things? Imagining them to create an illusion so that everything wrong in his life would fall into place?

Adrien focused on Marinette's eyes again. Yes, that shade of blue was unmistakable. He stared down at her lips, engraving its shape permanently into his mind so that he could compare them against Ladybug's when he sees her for patrol later that night. Her lips were pink and soft, and he wondered if they tasted as sweet as they looked.

Adrien shook his head. Oh, what a mistake it was to stare at Marinette's lips. He looked at her nose instead, then her eyes. He realised she was staring at him with an odd expression. Adrien chuckled nervously, flustered at being caught for practically gawking at her. She smiled at him regardless, and Adrien felt all his worries shrivel into nothing.

Marinette placed a hand on his cheek, and without even thinking about it, Adrien leaned into her palm. _This feels familiar_ , he thought. Even though Adrien was more than unwilling to leave Marinette, he couldn't wait to see Ladybug. It was time to put his theory to the test.

* * *

Chat Noir couldn't help but realise that Ladybug had been staring at him a lot tonight. But that was fine with him, because he was staring at her a little excessively too. They were perched atop a random balcony when Chat Noir leaned in. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Ladybug blinked at him. She didn't seem to understand his question, so Chat Noir repeated it with a grin on his face. She smiled sheepishly and shook her head. "Just thinking about something," she said.

"About what?"

"Something."

"Me?" Chat Noir smirked.

Ladybug laughed and pushed his face away. "You wish."

He leaned back and crossed his arms, studying her face. Ladybug looked at him and smiled. "And what about you? You've been quiet tonight."

"Just thinking about something," Chat Noir mocked.

"About me?"

"Yes," he said. That one word sent shivers down Ladybug's spine, but she blamed it on the cool breeze. She cleared her throat and pretended to be unfazed. "What about me?"

"I was wondering if there were people in Paris with eyes like yours."

A pause. When Ladybug spoke, she spoke slowly, as though weighing her words carefully before articulating them. "No, just me."

Chat Noir smiled. He reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "I thought so too."

* * *

 _A/N: Marinette sings 'Since you hold me so tight, here is my treasure: it's you, you who is worth more than gold' from the song J'envoie Valser._


	8. Fencing and wise guys

Class was over, and Adrien turned in his seat nervously to face Marinette. She looked at him smiled encouragingly. Adrien was rarely ever nervous around her. If he was, Marinette knew that it meant he had something to ask from her, and he was always shy when asking for favours. Marinette found that trait to be one of the most endearing things about him.

When he saw the smile on her face, Adrien relaxed and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I won't be able to make it for gym tomorrow," he said. "I have a fencing tournament."

"Oh! That's alright," Marinette said kindly. She could sense he had something else to ask from her, and she had a guess as to what it was. She decided to ask instead and put him out of his misery. "Can I come to watch and cheer for you?"

Adrien beamed, relieved that he didn't have to ask. Of course Marinette wouldn't reject him if he had asked her, he thought. Still, it was nerve-wrecking that her rejection was a possibility. "I would be so happy if you came!"

"I'll be there too," Nino said, turning in his seat to join in the conversation. "With Alya, that is, if you want to."

Alya laughed. "Sure, I'd love to watch boys try to stab each other with toothpicks."

Nino and Marinette tried suppressing their laughter. Adrien smiled at her coolly, "They're not toothpicks. They're _sophisticated_ toothpicks."

"Oh, how silly of me."

"You ought to educate yourself before coming to watch the tournament, Alya."

"You're right. I'm sorry, I forgot that sophisticated toothpick stabbing is a prestigious sport."

"The most prestigious of all."

By then, the four friends didn't bother holding in their laughter. "Alright kids, I'm just kidding. Fencing _is_ a real, serious sport. I wish you luck for the tournament tomorrow, Adrien," Alya said, holding out her fist for him.

He smiled at her and nodded, meeting her fist with his. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Marinette stared at his outstretched hand with a slight frown on her face. When he looked at her questioningly, she simply shook her head and smiled.

* * *

Marinette never knew that Adrien was so skilled in fencing. He breezed his way through matches, finally making his way to the finals. Each time he took a break, he would wave at Marinette, and if he had the chance, he would make his way down to her with a wide smile on his face.

"I've never had people cheering for me before," he told her once, breathlessly as he beamed at his classmates. The entire class had overheard them joking about his tournament in class yesterday, and they decided to come support him, even Chloe and Sabrina. Marinette was flattered and flustered that out of everyone, Adrien would give her the most attention.

"That's what friends are for," she had told him in reply. He smiled at her and held her hand in his, squeezing it before running off, as though doing so would bring him good luck.

Adrien finally faced his final opponent, and when he won without breaking a sweat, the entire class, who took up an entire row, stood up and cheered in celebration. They ran to him and greeted him with pats on the back, fist bumps and high-fives.

"Alright dudes, make way for the best friend," Nino said, pushing his classmates aside with a grin on his face. Adrien smiled at him and clasped his hand, pulling Nino into a hug. Over his shoulder, he looked at Marinette. When she smiled at him proudly, Adrien hoped this moment would forever be engraved in his memory, especially the look upon her face.

"That's enough love from me, man. I release you to your loved one," Nino said dramatically, with a wink for good measure as he gestured to Marinette. That earned 'ooo's from their classmates, and Adrien blushed furiously as he made his way to his favourite person in the room. He spread his arms open for her and sighed in contentment when she stepped into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Adrien took a deep breath, loving how right and familiar this feels, and how Marinette smelled of cookies.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered, her voice muffled by his gear.

"Thank you," he said, smiling into her shoulder. "Thank you for being here."

"Just kiss already!" came a demand from one of their classmates, which was followed by endless snickering. That was definitely Alya. Marinette laughed, but tried to give the crowd a glare. They pulled away from each other, and Marinette placed a hand on Adrien's cheek. She smiled when he leaned into her hand and gave her a familiar grin.

Every inch of Marinette's body screamed at her to lean forward and give Adrien a small kiss on the cheek, so she did just that, surprising everybody, especially Adrien. She pressed her lips to his cheek, salty from sweat but sweet with something else, something that was so… _Adrien_. When she pulled away, beaming and blushing at the same time, she stared knowingly into his shocked green eyes and gave a tiny giggle.

Adrien turned bright red but kept his hands firmly on her waist, as though to keep himself from falling. He managed a weak grin. "Maybe you should take up a sport too. I could come to your tournaments and reward you the same way."

"Between you and me, I already have quite a lot on my plate," she winked. "Besides, what sport could I possibly play?"

"Baseball," Adrien smirked.

She blinked at him. Before she could question him why of all things, he said baseball, the coach called Adrien back. "Duty calls," he told her before slipping away, leaving her in the chatter of her excited classmates.

* * *

Ladybug placed a hand on Chat Noir's arm. He regarded it curiously before meeting her eyes, a grin on his face.

"I just realised that you haven't been making puns in a while."

"I haven't? You miss my puns, my lady?"

Ladybug laughed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes, just a smidge."

"Well, I cannot possibly disap _pur_ oint. My return has to be huge! But where to _big_ in? You have a good eye for jokes, my lady. Any _eye_ deas?"

"Okay, I don't miss them anymore," Ladybug said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, come on. _Purr_ lease? I'm just getting started," Chat Noir said, leaning forward, close into Ladybug's face. She pushed him away with a hand, laughing at his pout.

"No more!"

"You mean m _eow_ re?"

"No!" Ladybug laughed and reached behind him to grab his baton. Once she had it, she ran off, forcing Chat Noir to follow her. They ran in circles around the large rooftop, until Chat Noir stopped and stomped his foot like a child.

"My lady!"

"Alright, I'll give it back if you stop with the puns."

"Okay, I _purr_ omise to stop, _baton_ one condition."

Ladybug groaned. "What else besides giving you back your baton?"

Chat Noir sat down, then patted the space beside him with a shy smile on his face. Ladybug chuckled at him and ruffled his hair as she took a seat. Their legs dangled over the edge of the rooftop. They sat close to each other, content with being enveloped in each other's warmth. Ladybug handed Chat Noir his baton, and he took it gingerly from her hands.

"How did you get so good with it?" Ladybug asked, genuinely curious.

"With puns? I just have killer sense of humour."

"More like a _cat_ astrophic sense of humour," Ladybug said, earning a laugh of approval from Chat. "I meant, your baton."

"Oh," Chat Noir said, looking down at the baton in his hands. He studied it for a moment, then looked over at Ladybug with a sly smile on his face. "I do fencing," he said simply.

Ladybug stared at him, nodding quietly. When she didn't say anything, he asked, "What about you? Play any sports?"

"No," Ladybug said. "Although, this afternoon, a friend did suggest baseball."

At this, Chat Noir started laughing. "He sounds like a wise guy. I agree with him; you do have a strong arm."

Ladybug gave him a look that was a mixture of annoyance and amusement. "He isn't _that_ wise. He's about as wise as you."

"Then that's wise enough," he said quietly. The change in the tone of his voice made Ladybug look up at him. She watched as he regarded her, a strange look upon his face. Without realising it, Ladybug reached out and held Chat Noir's cheek in her hand. He leaned into her hand, an almost innate response to a familiar gesture. Ladybug stared into his green eyes, almost dreamily. He put on his gentle, loving gaze, as though he knew she couldn't resist it. And she really couldn't. Which is why Ladybug leaned forward and pressed her lips to Chat Noir's warm cheek.

She grinned when he blushed, and when she waved goodbye and swung her way home, Ladybug didn't even try to control her giggling.


	9. Bravery and love

"So, what about you and Marinette?"

"What about us?" Adrien asked Nino sheepishly. They were the only ones in class because for once, they were incredibly early, and there was nothing to do but talk about girls, and Nino was not one to shy away from gossip.

"Dude, she _kissed_ you!"

"On the cheek."

"And you two danced like lovers that time we had a picnic!"

"I blame the song," Adrien said with a smile. He remembered that day fondly. He found out that Marinette had planned it all by herself, trying to recreate the sense of happiness Adrien had felt when he was a child and his family would go on picnics, and his parents would dance to old songs on the radio. Adrien couldn't help but tear up when he heard what she had done for him, through Nino, and he made it a huge point to thank Marinette greatly after that, making sure she knew just how much happiness she had given him. He couldn't remember if she had teared up too, but she held him tightly to her and he stroked her hair, and all he could think about was how it felt like his heart was being filled with so much love that it could very well explode any moment, and his soul would burst free and float up and up to the clouds above.

Nino returned Adrien's smile and faraway look with a knowing smirk that eased out a sigh and the truth out of his friend. "I might be in love with her."

" _Might_ be?" Nino asked sceptically.

"Alright," Adrien laughed, hands raised in defeat. There was no fooling Nino. "I love her," he admitted shyly.

He felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder and looked up to meet Nino's warm brown eyes. "She loves you too, you know," he said gently.

Adrien could feel his heart soaring when he heard that. Could it be true? He knew she might like him, but _love_? Was that possible too? "You really think so?" he asked Nino worriedly, which only earned him a laugh and a shake on the shoulder.

"I _know_ so. Tell her you love her, alright dude? You have to."

"I will," Adrien promised with a nod. "But there's something I have to do first."

Nino laughed in amusement and shook his head disbelief. "Do what you gotta do, man. After that, go get your princess."

* * *

"So, what about you and Adrien?"

"What about us?" Marinette asked distractedly. They were walking to school in a hurry, and Marinette was determined to be seated before the bell rang.

"You kissed him yesterday! And you danced so romantically to _j'envoie valser_ during our picnic that it felt like watching a scene from the greatest love story of all time! Not to mention your endless flirting and smiles and banter. It's taking so long for you to get together, I just don't understand! Girl, what are you guys doing to each other?" Alya ranted.

Marinette laughed. "We will, Alya. Soon."

"How soon?" Alya asked.

"Very."

"You seem so sure," she observed with a smile.

"I am," Marinette said confidently, even though fear was ebbing through her veins and her heart was pounding so hard against her chest that it felt like it would break out of her ribcage and make its way into Adrien's hands, as though it knows that he would take good care of it, even though he was the cause of the fear. Marinette took a deep breath to calm herself. She looked over at Alya and smiled. "I love him, and I'm taking your advice. I'm going to create that right moment."

Alya gasped, happy and relieved. "Oh! How exciting!"

"And scary," Marinette muttered softly, unafraid to be vulnerable around Alya.

"Don't worry, girl. It'll all turn out well," Alya said, stopping in her tracks to place both hands on her friend's shoulders. She squeezed them gently and gave Marinette her most reassuring look. "He loves you, Marinette, I know it!"

Marinette beamed and leaned in for a hug. Above them, they heard the bell ring. They laughed as they ran, pulling each other along as they made their way up the stairs and into their classroom, where the first thing they saw were Nino and Adrien. Marinette glanced at him and smiled shyly as she made her way to her seat. He beamed at her, his face slightly red, and all through class, Marinette stared at the back of his head, wishing with all her heart that Alya was right.

* * *

"Don't think too much about it," Plagg said. Adrien mumbled an agreement. He was squatting atop a closed toilet seat in the boys' restroom with Plagg in his hands. A new victim had been akumatised, and Chat Noir and Ladybug had to spring into action right away. For some reason, Plagg decided the akuma would have to wait because it was the best time to give Adrien a pep talk.

"Just let it happen organically."

"Okay."

"Have an idea of what you want to say."

"Got it."

"Don't rehearse a script. You might forget your lines and panic."

"You're right."

"Don't forget to brush your hair before you leave."

"I will."

"Eat some of my cheese to make your breath smell pleasant."

Adrien laughed, patting his kwami on the head. "Stop worrying, Plagg."

"I'm not worried. I just don't want you to embarrass yourself. We both know that's your specialty in life."

"Ha ha, very funny. Now, stop fussing. I'll be fine."

"How are you so sure of that?" Plagg asked.

"Because it's _her_ ," Adrien said, smiling at him. "I'm comfortable around her. I can be myself when I'm with her, both sides of her."

"I'm glad I only have to tolerate one side of you," Plagg teased endearingly.

"Hey!"

* * *

"Are you ready?" Tikki asked Marinette. They were hiding in the girls' locker room, which was completely empty because everyone had fled home the moment news broke out that there was a new akuma attack in the school. Marinette held Tikki in her hands and stared into her large, blue eyes.

"Yes, I am."

"I'm not talking about the akuma. I'm talking about your right moment."

"Oh, that. I'm scared, Tikki," Marinette admitted sadly.

Tikki smiled. "It's okay to be scared! Fear allows you to be brave, it makes you put in effort into what you have to overcome. If you overcome your fear and face it with courage, then you'll know what you're doing is worth it. And it _is_. Love is always worth it. And bravery is something that you have so much of, Marinette. It will all work out soon."

Marinette smiled at Tikki, stroking her little head with her finger. "Thank you, Tikki. You're right. Both you and Alya."

"We've never been wrong before!"

"Really?" Marinette teased.

"Alright," Tikki said, laughing. " _I've_ never been wrong before."

"Tikki!"

* * *

"Bien joué!" Chat Noir and Ladybug exclaimed in unison, fists connecting like a ritual. The akuma had been defeated, and damage had been miraculously restored. All was good once more.

Chat Noir looked at Ladybug with a smile. As soon as he opened his mouth to tell her something, the sound of beeping interrupted him. Ladybug's hand flew to her earrings, touching them lightly. When her eyes focused on Chat Noir again, she immediately grabbed his hand and ran into the school behind them, pulling him along. It was night, and the school was empty like a welcoming ghost town.

Chat Noir, not quite understanding why they were running together and not from each other since they were going to transform back, only knew that Ladybug was going to be gone soon, and so he blurted out the thoughts he had been keeping to himself all day. "My lady, I need to tell you something!" he said, breathlessly because they were running still.

"What is it?" Ladybug asked, glancing back but not stopping.

"I can swim!"

"Okay?"

"No, remember when I told you about being stuck between the sky and the sea? You told me to fly, but I can swim too!"

"I don't get it."

"Listen, I realised there wasn't any need for flying or swimming. Because I wasn't stuck. Not really. There weren't two people, my lady, there was just one, all along. And she isn't just the sky or the sea. She was both."

They came to a stop. Chat Noir glanced around them with a smile on his lips, both breathing heavily from the sprint. They were in the school gym, standing by the treadmill near the weights, with the window beside them, framing a night sky full of stars and the bright crescent moon above. Chat Noir looked down at Ladybug, admiring how the faint light of the night casted a soft glow on her features. She was so beautiful it made him ache.

He took her hands in his, nearly flinching when he heard the sound of his own miraculous. He stared into her blue eyes, drowning in the intensity of Ladybug's gaze. She looked confused, afraid, but so very hopeful. He realised what was coming, that she wasn't going to run once her time was up. He almost sighed in happiness, and when Chat Noir spoke, his voice was soft and gentle and quiet, like the cool breeze of the night.

"You're my entire world, Marinette."

Ladybug blinked at him, mouth slightly ajar. Her miraculous beeped a short moment later, transforming her in a flash of pink and red and white. Marinette stood before Chat Noir, her hands in his, tears in her eyes. Chat Noir returned her smile, his eyes glistening too. Reaching up, Marinette held Chat Noir's cheek in one hand, and wove her fingers through his with the other.

"And you are mine, Adrien."

Chat Noir leaned into her hand, that familiar gesture once more, a gesture he couldn't imagine living without, and he wore a warm smile on his face upon hearing his name escaping her lips in a whisper. His own ring beeped a second later and engulfed him in green and black.

Adrien and Marinette barely paid attention to their kwami, who embraced quietly and floated away like dim fireflies. They stared only at each other, with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces, the gap between them closing in, closer and closer, till their bodies touched and their lips finally met for a soft, long, and deep kiss which the stars had been waiting all night for.


	10. Workout buddies and more

When Marinette woke from sleep, the smell of spring filled the air around her so strongly that she thought her lungs might sprout flowers. She opened her eyes and sighed in contentment, even though her back was aching from sleeping on the hard floor of the gym. Marinette looked up and gazed at Adrien, who was locking her in his embrace. Her cheek was resting on his shoulder, and his face was turned towards hers so that while they were asleep, her forehead was touching his lips.

Marinette gazed at his sleeping face and smiled. A feeling of calm and peacefulness settled in her heart as she studied his eyelids and lashes and nose and lips. She blushed when she realised that his lips were slightly swollen. She was sure hers were as well.

As though he could feel her staring at him, Adrien soon woke and blinked his eyes open. He looked down at Marinette, stunned for a moment before recalling the situation before him. When he had done so, he smiled at her and pulled her closer to him, stroking her hair once they were in a comfortable position.

"What time is it?" he asked groggily.

Marinette blushed at the sound of his voice. In such a state, it was intoxicating. She squinted at the clock behind him, illuminated by the moonlight that poured in through the window. "It's two in the morning," she said, surprised. She felt like she just had the longest, deepest sleep that lasted centuries.

"Oh, wow," Adrien said, closing his eyes again. "Where are our kwami?"

"They went outside last night when we were…" Marinette blushed again. She cursed herself for feeling so flustered. This was Adrien, the loving boy she had spent months with in this very room and got to know so deeply, deeper than anyone in her entire life. And this was also Chat Noir, the annoying cat that understood her so well, even if she didn't quite understand herself. And what were they when she had finally pieced them together? He was the boy she loves.

Marinette looked into Adrien's eyes, shocked to see amusement dancing in them. "When we were _what_ , _Purr_ incess?" he teased with a mischievous grin.

"Did you forget already?" she asked, pretending to be upset even though a smile was threading lightly on her face.

"I think I might need you to jog my memory," Adrien whispered.

Marinette wanted very badly to say no, but the way he was looking at her was far too enthralling. So for now, Marinette didn't care about playing hard to get. All she cared about was the look on Adrien's face and his lips that were beckoning her to him. And so she grabbed his shirt to pull him even closer to her and kissed him again for the millionth time that night.

* * *

They walked hand in hand through the streets, feeling the cool night breeze caressing their skin and hair. Tikki and Plagg were nestled in Marinette's pouch, sound asleep. It was almost three in the morning as they made their way home slowly. The streets were empty and there seemed to be a faraway music that filled the air around them. They were quiet as they walked, content in the calming silence.

Adrien stole glances at Marinette occasionally, a sleepy smile on his face. He had always imagined being with Marinette/Ladybug, but he never thought it would be like this. The feeling was far too wonderful that before, he was incapable of imagining or comprehending what this feeling would actually be like. He looked to the sky, silently wishing the sun would never rise, and the night would go on forever.

When they finally made it to the bakery, Adrien transformed into Chat Noir and used his stick to lift both of them up into Marinette's balcony. She couldn't walk in through the front door, because she had called her parents the night before to tell them that she was safe and would be home late, and that they shouldn't wait up for her. And when she meant late, she meant around 11 o'clock, not 3 in the morning.

Tikki was awoken by the movements, and peered out the bag with tired eyes.

"Could I say goodbye to Plagg?" she asked sleepily once they were in Marinette's room.

"Sure," Chat Noir said with a smile, and in a flash, he transformed back into Adrien. Plagg floated tiredly to Tikki and once he had embraced her, he began snoring, falling asleep on her tiny shoulder. Marinette giggled and told Adrien she would bring some cheesecake for him tomorrow, to which Adrien gratefully thanked her for. He waited for a few moments, watching Tikki pat Plagg on the back in sluggish motions. Her eyes were closed too, and Adrien worriedly reached into his jacket to pull out some cheese for his poor kwami, who he knew was as tired as Tikki was.

Plagg's nose twitched at the smell, even in sleep, and when he had woken up, his sleepy eyes stared at the cheese, which Adrien fed to him with a small smile.

"Ready to go, Plagg?" he asked after Plagg had swallowed down the cheese. He nodded and gave a final hug to Tikki and Marinette's cheek. When Adrien had transformed into Chat Noir, he stroked Tikki's head gently with a finger before turning to Marinette. He gave her a bow and winked. "I had a great time tonight, my lady. We should do it again some time."

"All we did was kiss and fall asleep."

"And wasn't that just perfect?" Chat Noir grinned.

"Just two things I didn't like: falling asleep on the hard floor and your puns."

"I can guarantee that sleeping on the floor won't happen again, but no promises on the puns. If you want me, you'll have to take them too."

Marinette pretended to think about it, earning a fit of laughter from Chat Noir. "I know you find them endearing," he said, poking her shoulders.

She brushed his hand away, laughing. "Well kitty, that I _cat_ not _purr_ ossibly deny."

Chat Noir beamed at her, ecstatic at her use of puns. He placed both hands on her face, leaning down to meet her lips. What was meant to be a short peck dragged out into a long and sensual kiss as Marinette wound her fingers through Chat Noir's hair and he held onto her waist tightly, stroking her sides. Marinette sighed into the kiss, causing him to respond eagerly by deepening it, and only breaking apart minutes later to catch a breath. Marinette stared up at him with dark eyes, taking in his tousled blond hair and dilated pupils and swollen lips.

 _Has he always looked this irresistible?_ Marinette wondered to herself. She kissed him again, unable to keep herself away, and Chat Noir giggled against her lips at her eagerness. He stroked her cheeks when she finally pulled away, saying breathlessly, "I need to go, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Marinette nodded, finally feeling the weight of her eyelids. Chat Noir giggled again as he leaned forward, giving her a short kiss before jumping out of her room and into the night.

* * *

"Late night?" Alya asked with a grin.

"Hmm? Mmmyeah."

Alya laughed and gestured at Adrien, who had his head down and was conspicuously sleeping on his desk. Luckily for them both, the teacher wasn't in class yet. "Looks like somebody else had a late night. Coincidence? Marinette?"

"Wha- what?"

"I'm guessing yesterday went well?"

Marinette rubbed sleep from her eyes and looked at her friend. She smiled upon seeing the look on Alya's face. Nino was looking at them both, and he placed a hand over Marinette's, happy for her and Adrien. Marinette sighed in contentment and looked at Adrien, sound asleep. It was only until he let out a loud snore that her eyes widened, and the three friends erupted in laughter that caused him to wake, looking around in innocent shock.

He turned around to look at Marinette, as though to rush to her safety if she needed him, but when he realised that he had simply fallen asleep and the loud, sudden noise that woke him up was the sound of his friends' laughter, he began laughing too, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Marinette met his eyes and smiled. It looks like they weren't in a state for gym later. But for once, she wasn't worried; she knew they no longer needed gym as an excuse to spend time together. After all, they weren't just workout buddies. They were so much more.

* * *

 _Hi everyone._

 _Firstly, sorry for taking so long for this last chapter. It was a combination of not being able to function after that ladynoir scene in Volpina and not wanting Workout Buddies to come to an end. But alas, it has! It's been an amazing ride, I love this story very much. And so I'm sad that it's over. I would like to thank all of you for your encouragement and support (I'm sorry for not replying to the reviews because I don't know how to reply! Is there a button? Does it not exist? Help?). It really meant a lot, seriously, the proof is how this turned from a 3-chapter story to 10 whole chapters!_ _And thank you so much for reading, I hope there were some lessons that you've managed to take away, like how love takes effort, but it is always worth it. :)_

 _Workout Buddies has a special place in my heart, so thank you for allowing me to share it with you! It's time for me to get back to my one-shots, and hopefully, maybe another new story will come our way. See you soon!_

 _Lots of_ miraculous _love,  
WB_


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